Believe it or not, this began as a packet of instant noodles
The weather in this part of the world has gone all weird again.
Just a few days ago, it was splendidly, bone-chillingly cold with strong Siberian winds whistling in the evenings. Now, it’s depressingly hot and sunny, and I feel like melting down into the pavement whenever I’m on my way to work – plus, the heat does nothing whatsoever for my temper. Thanks to these extreme weather shifts, I managed to catch a cold!
But colds – even those caused by those purported super-germs – can be fended off with plenty of liquids, Vitamin C, sleep, and good soups made fragrant with herbs and spices and made hearty by the addition of meat and veg for additional body-building / body-shielding nutrition.
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to make soup from scratch; with so many options currently available on your local supermarket’s shelves, you have plenty to choose from. In my case, I’d either go for Korean ramyeun or udong, Japanese, shoyu or miso ramen, and this recent addition to my personal menu: laksa Singapura from Koka.
It’s hard to believe that something this rich and flavorful can actually come from a packet, but it did. Firm wheat noodles (as opposed to the more traditional rice noodles for laksa) are cooked in a coconut-enriched broth made heady and fragrant with chilies, laksa leaf [curry leaf], lemongrass, galangal, and a hint of tamarind. Served hot, the heavenly-smelling steam wafting over the bowl soothes clogged noses and helps one breathe more easily. The fire of the chili, the tang of lemongrass and tamarind, and the sharpness of the other ingredients all help sharpen blunted tastebuds. The galangal also promotes a sense of well-being for some strange reason, a culinary panacea to help you feel much, much better.
To make this bowl a bit more substantial, I also added prawn/shrimp rolls sliced into medallions, some leftover roast chicken chopped up finely, and a split egg – you whisk in the whites and poach the yolk whole. I daresay leftover sate babi or sate ayam, chopped-up fried fish, and some beansprouts or tofu would be just as tasty.
With such a filling meal in you, you’ll be back up and running in no time. I would know; it worked for me. 😉
Midge in the Kitchen 
get well soon, and that soup looks so good~
I love Nonya food! It reminds me of being in Singapore 🙂 And I always tend to catch colds when the weather changes. I hope you’re feeling better soon Midge!
I’ve always loved nyonya except laksa. Confusing and contradictory? Lol! I couldn’t quite get it (laksa) when we were still based in Brunei. It took me a bowl of laksa here in Auckland to appreciate it. Probably fusion laksa hahaha!
I will take that bowl of yours anytime… 🙂